When browsing through a large UML class diagram (20+ classes), if I try to find the "path" from one entity to another or the connections of a certain entity, I get lost very easily. Are there any tools that allow hiding certain entities? Or that highlight paths or connections? So far I've tried ArgoUML and MagicDraw but they don't seem to have any of these.
Modelus Suite Model Designer has functionality that allows you to see references of selected element and connections as well. It is simple navigation, but usable for models of any complexity I would say. It does not highlight it, but it is possible to locate related elements in project tree or on diagrams.
You can find more info on the web side. Here is a link Modelus Suite
Hiding elements to split complex models into several diagrams is a basic (must have) feature for UML tools. GenMyModel is natively supporting such operation using "hide" from the popup menu.
(see: use model elements in multiple diagrams and demo video)
All UML tools should allow you to remove model elements from a diagram without deleting them from the model itself. The reason is that, in UML, a model is not the same thing as a diagram. A UML diagram is one of many possible views showing and hiding different parts of a UML model. A UML model instantiates elements of the UML meta-model, in memory and on disk.
There is a fundamental difference between a mere drawing program and a UML modeling tool. A drawing program (like MS Powerpoint or Visio) just draws pictures. A UML tool has an underlying meta-model that can render its instances on any number of diagrams. All true UML modeling tools will therefore allow you to remove model elements from a diagram.
Your claim that MagicDraw does not allow hiding elements on a diagram is untrue. Not only can MagicDraw hide model elements, it has a special "Relation Map" diagram that allows you to swim around in a model.
Related
I am working on a data science project for my 3-2 mini project. My project analyzes the performance of a country in the Olympics based on some attributes. But I am confused about the UML diagrams I should be using in my project.
There are some 15 UML diagram types out there. A sensible sequence of diagrams to be created depends on your approach.
If you'd like to create an analysis model that is a conceptual model of your problem domain then a sensible sequence of diagrams might be:
Usecase diagrams
Activity diagrams
Class diagrams
and if your project gets bigger you might need package diagrams.
If you'd like to create a design model that is a conceptual model of your solution domain then a sensible sequence of diagrams might be:
1. Component diagrams
2. Class diagrams
3. Sequence diagrams
4. Statecharts
In both cases a starting point is having a diagram for your system context. Some people like to mix component and usecase diagram features to denote a system context.
The aspects you might want to take into concideration of your diagram choices are:
syntax - how strictly would you like to follow the UML standard and what use does adhering to the standard have for you
semantics - what is your need - what do you want to document - and who needs to understand it
pragmatics - what is the best way to achieve your projects goal e.g. being efficient and effective
tool - what tools do you have at hand and are used and known to your peers - what can you afford to invest in keeping the tool infrastructure up
While your question is very broad, I could imagine that in view of:
My project analyzes the performance of a country in the Olympics based on some attributes.
you'll certainly need a class-diagram. Because the class diagram will clarify what kind of objects your software will manipulate (e.g. Olympic game, Participating countries, Teams, Athletes, Discipline, Competition), how they are related, and what attributes are associated with which each.
This will enable you to determine for the different analysis you want the access path to the relevant attributes. It will also allow you to find missing attributes, and to desing a convenient interface for the different classes.
You may also use other diagrams. But with the few requirements you've shared, it's difficult to guess which one and I do not want to do a lot of guesses. I could nevertheless imagine that a use-case diagram could help to give the big picture of who is going to do what with your software.
I'm learning software engineering at school and right now we're focusing on data diagrams. That is, Objec Classes, associations (and multiplicities), Ternary (or in general N-ary) assocciations, aggregation classes and so on.
I've been taught that we are using the UML standard, but as far as I can see, most UML editors I've found don't even support (or do it very poorly) the UML concepts I am using, I find myself using text labels all over the diagram to express almost anything, and I can't even define an N-ary association properly. I can draw a diamond from the flow-chart drawing part and draw some arrows, then define multiplicities with labels, but I find that unprofessional.
So, I've got two questions: Is UML what I've been taught? Does it have a more specific name (I was told they were called data diagrams).
How can I check that I am using the correct tool and that it is really UML what I study?
n-ary associations are UML. But they are not so often used really. Most of associations are one-or two-directional binary ones.
DATA diagrams are NOT UML. But the standard allows to use class diagrams for showing tables and their relationships. If you use class diagrams, it is UML, if data diagrams, it is not.
Multiplicities are UML. You should define them as attributes of association.
As for arrows, UML standard allows not to show them. But of course, they should be again set as attributes of association.
It seems that you use diagramming tool without UML class diagrams support. And youu need rather a modelling tool. Try VP-UML - it has free community license, including all types of UML diagrams. Or if you can install Eclipse, it has many UML plugins. The largest are EMF or Papyrus. They are free. Green UML is for starters.
I understand your troubles - many "UML" courses do not teach real UML. Many widely used tools have errors in UML realization. Some of them (IBM) are very far from the standard. The best place to check if you are on the right way, is the OMG UML 2.5 standard. It is beta2, but the content is virtually equal to the current 2.4.1, and is more easy to understand. (the current change has merely to simplify the documentation)
UML 2.x has 14 diagram types - grouped into structural and behavioral diagrams. For a system modelled in UML, there is inter-linking between diagrams, for example:
A class with a state variable should have a corresponding state-machine diagram which models its behavior.
Similarly, the life-line in sequence diagram is an instance of a class: usually shown as :.
What are the other links possible between the 14 diagrams?
Is there a tool independent way of specifying these?
Are these linkages exported in a standard way in the XMI output file, if XMI export is supported?
In UML2 you can now create almost any model element in any diagram. I mean that you can have structural elements inside the same diagram.
alt text http://www.forum-omondo.com/download/file.php?id=194&mode=view
Having said that you can also use the EclipseUML2 editor which is open source. You create manually your model and for example create a State then a child Class. Once created you open the model with a compatible UML tool and drag and drop inside an empty diagram what has been manually model. You will get a graphical representation.
I do it every day with Omondo EclipseUML Helios and it works really well. I have previously tried RSA 6.5 and it was also possible. My graphical diagram allows me to create as many as needed views from my model. I can manipulate my model with the editor or with the diagram. Really cool !!
I'm a total rookie in UML and modelling. I'm learning some framework, and I'm trying to grasp and outline its key aspects. I've decided to do it with UML. But the problem is, the whole structural diagram of the framework is of no use to me, because classes have a lot of properties and methods, and there's a lot of classes.
What I need is a series of structural diagrams, each of which shows some specific aspect of the framework. And the classes involved should display only those attributes/operations that are of certain value to this specific aspect.
Does UML (as a standard) supports this on some level, and is there some tool that allows to do just that? I've tried Visio 2007 and Enterprise Architect, but I didn't found out the way to do what I need.
Thanks in advance.
What your are looking for seems to be able to customize views of your model and not to visualize the full class diagram. This concept is developed by Omondo which provides customizable views of your model by drag and drop. You can create as many views as needed, each could be different from the others while just using the same model element. This also the metamodeling approach for me where the model is not the diagram but the metamodel on which your build your graphical model.
If you don't need attributes/methods then you can try to click directly on attributes and methods keeping the ctrl button pressed, then you should be able to find a menu in the class diagram to hide them. The traditional menu is Hide from diagram.
This is what I do and it works really well.
You can also just click directly on attributes and methods but I don't see any documentation on this subject. It seems that nobody knows except the developer and myself about this option but this is my favorite one :-)
Can anyone tell which UML diagram I should change if there is a slight change in the design of application.
The change is -> Earlier the application was using Active directory for authentication now I want to use the Membership provider instead.
I want to keep the change minimum in diagrams.
Thanks
Sounds like component diagrams or class diagrams. Check out the following topics and illustrations for VS 2010 Ultimate RC:
UML Component Diagrams: Reference at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd409390%28VS.100%29.aspx:
A component diagram shows the parts of a design for a software system. A component diagram helps you
visualize the high-level structure of the system and the service behavior that those pieces provide
and consume through interfaces.
UML Class Diagrams: Reference at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd409437%28VS.100%29.aspx
A UML class diagram describes the object and information structures used by your application, both
internally and in communication with its users. It describes the information without reference to any
particular implementation.
It will surely depend the diagrams at your disposal. Sound like a correction in one of the static diagram types, like the component diagram ...
This of course depends on how you structure your documents and your uml-diagrams.
In general I have a Conceptual model, Class Diagram and a Design Diagram which are diractly linked to the architecture. And then you should in most cases have System Sequence Diagrams and more. However, depending on how your structure is and to minimize the "changes" required.
I would suggest that you use something more generic for the parts that might be changed. Active Directory Authentication and Membership Provider Authentication is both Authentication methods, which means that you can, instead of displaying the whole sequence at the Authentication step, just use "Authentication".
Now, in the conceptual models and in the design + class diagrams, you will need to change and add some fields, tables or whatever is added. But it shouldn't matter if you need to add more or less, because the documents need to reflect upon your software as accurate as possible.
So, to minimize changes, use more generic types.